Every once in a while I come across a book that knocks my sox off. Breathe, by Sloan Parker, is one of those books. When I read, I love to get deeply involved in the characters and their lives. I crave the inner demons that they face and thrive in watching them wrestle those demons and ultimately open themselves up to love. Lincoln McCaw and Jay Miller fit the bill perfectly for me. Both have tragic pasts which have led them down a road which forced them to shut down. In each case, the circumstances are entirely believable?

Now, what would you say if the connection between these two men is that one was responsible for an accident which took the other’s wife? That’s right, I said it, the two main love interest men are tied together through the most horrific event in either of their lives.

From the very beginning, I found myself intrigued by the complex and challenging task Ms. Parker was tryng to achieve. It’s hard enough to have two people meet, convincingly draw them together, make the reader love them, and craft a story that brings the reader on a ride. But to place two characters who have such a major event tying them together and holding them apart at the same time…it was captivating. And without giving anything away, I’ll simply state that this talented author has delivered. She has managed to create both as sympathetic, sexual, and lovable. Their relationship becomes something you not only want but need to see succeed.

With all of that said, Breathe also packed in an intense and exciting action plotline as well. As Lincoln tried to get on with living his life after serving his sentence in jail, someone is sending him threatening letters; letters which not only threaten him, but his family as well. Together, he and Jay embark on an investigation to find out who is sending these letters and just how far they will go to exact revenge.

Along with an emotionally packed and heart-racing story line, Ms. Sloan has infused steam heat into the love scenes. Vivid and emotional, the sex between Jay and Lincoln not only sizzles with raw physicality, but it also burns with pure emotion. I found that I had to get up and walk around a bit just to cool off after each scene. Yet, even though her sex scenes are highly erotic, they each serve a purpose in the story. Rather than being gratuitous, they push the story forward, adding to the progression of the characters in their journey towards finding love in each other.

Breathe is a must read. There is nothing about this story that will disappoint. I, for one, intend on reading whatever Ms. Parker writes.